SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS; THE MODERATING ROLE OF PURPOSE IN LIFE AMONG COUPLES IN NASARAWA STATE, NORTH CENTRAL, NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Sexual desire dysfunction is one of the major public concerns in marriages and romantic relationships globally. Good sexual life is important among couples as it serves many purposes in marriage. This disorder has resulted to psychological distress such as depression and anxiety in many marriages. Understanding the effect sexual dysfunction on psychological distress is important for treatment plan in order to improve human existence. This study investigates the moderation role of purpose in life in the relationship between sexual desire dysfunction and psychological disress among couples in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The study involved 400 (200 males and 200 females) married men and women participants, aged 18-70 years with a mean age of 1.9599 and standard deviation of 0.62879, who were selected through multi-stage sampling technique. Sexual dysfunction, general health questionnaire and purpose li life scale were used for data collection. The study employed the cross-sectional survey design, and two hypotheses were tested using Hayes PROCESS macro. The result revealed a positive relationship between sexual dysfunction and psychological distress, and purpose in life significantly moderated the relationship between sexual dysfunction and psychological distress among couples. Based on the findings, sexual dysfunction is a predictor of psychological distress, and the purpose in life can also reduce the effect of sexual dysfunction and psychological distress.

Keywords: Sexual Dysfunction, Purpose in Life, Psychological Distress, Hayes Process Macro.